Intro to the World of Natural Resources
Setting your own hours, working out in the sunshine, and helping to support the world; three items that can all be connected with one field of work, ranching. Being a student studying natural resources has given me the opportunity to learn about the wonderful outdoors, and how to manage my own business as a rancher.
Ranching is one of the most unappreciated careers for how much of an effect it has on the world. Although the hours are not set, most ranchers will wake up just as the sun is rising and won't quit until the sun sets. An average day will consist of feeding animals, analyzing and managing range lands, and keeping records and finances. It is a multiple skilled trade with natural resources being only a small portion of the work. No matter how much work there is to be done one thing is certain: at the end of the day a rancher plays a significant role in all human life. It is rewarding to know that the food you raise will help to sustain life, and being an advocate will help to raise awareness for those that do not know about life outside a city.
I will not claim to know everything about this career. But I have gained years of experience from my family ranch. I have also attend college, and plan on receiving my degree in the field. It is from experience and study that I have acquired a significant amount of knowledge to be shared.
So other than ranching, why choose a career in natural resources? There are many reasons. If you like to play in soil and wonder why plants wither then it would be a great study area. If you want to track endangered animals or work at a national park, same thing. There are many jobs working for the BLM, NDOW, USDA, and the mines. Any company that requires land or interrupts animal habitats deals with natural resources. The options are unlimited. And the best part is the greatest skill required to get into the field, other than a college degree in many cases, is a passion for the outdoors. It takes an outdoor view to be in the field of natural resources.
Hi Cassaundra,
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. Like you, I have a passion for the outdoors. You raise a very good point. The field of natural resources is anything but limited in terms of possible career avenues. However, from what I have come to understand, careers are becoming less limited to just positions of employment in the public sector. It is also a career field that has tremendous importance to all life on this planet. Without a place to exist, like earth, we would die out as a species. Without sources of food, like plants and animals, we would die out as a species.
Hi Cassaundra,
ReplyDeleteI like your color scheme, it looks inviting. Your field seem to be a great opportunity for people who like to be outdoors and enjoy a hands on job. To start, setting your own hours is amazing, not many employers would give you that option. Second, this job can keep you in shape. Tracking animals and tagging them sounds like a fun activity. I am just curious, how much knowledge on natural resources would you have to had before you can star working in this field? Are there any entry level jobs?
The amount of knowledge one would need all depends on the position. It is possible to get summer internships with ranchers, NDOW, BLM, etc. without having any education. But the more education and the more experience, the faster one can move up in the workforce. It really is a job that anyone can do as long as they have the passion.
DeleteGreat post Cassandra, I really like how you pointed out all the benefits of natural resources. I especially enjoyed you sharing your personal experiences in ranching. I think it was Milton Friedman who said when America as founded it took 19 people to feed 20, now about 2% of the population can feed the nation. This is in part because of the science and studying of raising animals and food that is grown. Reading your post definitely reminded me of how important understanding natural resources is to our everyday life.
ReplyDeleteAlso, your background is very catchy and definitely has eye appeal.
Though an outdoor lifestyle is a great aspect of this field, it has been stressed to me and many others that most of the time will be spent in the office writing reports about the work in the field and reviewing studies others have conducted. Besides ranching could you elaborate more to lengthen the post?
ReplyDelete